Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-06-23
TOM AND DICK.
a Little Story of the Last OF q Numerous
FAMILY.

a Little Story of the Last OF q Numerous
Family.
They were the last of seven house
flies that got into the sitting-room one
day when the door-screen happened to
stand open. The baby's mamma
thought them only five. but grandmama
was sure there were seven, and am
inclined to agree with her; for in a
matter of flies. YOU have always noticed
there are likely to b, good many
rather than few. And if any one
should say there are one hundred and
fifty trying to get into the kitchen
while the dinner is cooking. you may
be pretty sure there arc one hundred
and sixty-onc 1T least So the baby s
grandmma was undoubtedly right.
and Tom and Dick were not the last of
five flies but of seven; and yet have a
doubt as to whether there may not
have been ten of them at first or may
be twelve. At any rate they had all
disappeared but these two. and it was
now the last of December The morn
ing was cold and Tom and Dick sat by
the CRATE. on the rack that held the
baby's clothes. They were very fond
of the baby in their way. and liked
nothing better than travelling over her
fat checks or tickling the end of
her little pug nose. She did not
like them at all. but they did
not stop to worry about that When
she struck out for them. her fat fist was
a good deal more likely to 60 into one
of her own blue eyes than to hit either
of her troublesome admirers, and they
usually flew away without brush.
This morning she was sound asleep.
Her milk bottle lay in the foot of the
crib. and Dick thought he would like
get at least a smell of it; so he flew
around and around hunting for place
TO let him in. Bat the baby's mother
had spread a big net over baby. crib.
bottle and all. and Dick could not find
place that would much more than let
his nose through. So he finally gave
ZIP tho matter. and went to look out of
tilse window. 1t was showing fast, and
sthe brown leaves that were left on the
strees seemed to b, scared. and it was
A.. so cold Slch weather made Dick fe Il
dismal. and he flew back to the rack
before the fire to see Tom: and then it
struck him all of Il sudden that Tom
NssSes! quear. HIS head seemed loose
and about to fall of; his wings looked
faded aud dropping. and his eye, were
dull
'Why. Tom. old fellow. what's the
NATTER" said D.ck But Tom did not
answer.
81 say. Tom" called Dick again.
The baby could not have heard him
if she had been broad awake. nor the
babv's mother if she had been there;
but Dick knew what he said. and Tom
knew this time; for pretty soon he an
severed slowly:
Il am very sleepy" and his voice
was faint, and sounded to Dick As if it
were a long way off-as if it had got
away from Tom and gone up the CHM
ney or outside the door. or into the
bottom of the baby's bottle-he could
not keep the baby's bottle out OF his
head.
"Well, / should think So" said Dick.
briskly. rs he shook out his wings.
s'Why don't you hold up your head.
and stir around bit. aad be a re.
spectacle fly"
1T is very late and cold" said Tom.
slowly. rs before. and again his voice
sounded as if it were away off by it.
self somewhere. Dick laughed. but
you couldn't have heard him if he had
been tickling your nose at that very
minute.
Gold enough. that's fact But
late? Why. it's early in the morning"
Il know \ good place to go to sleep
In" said Tom. nodding his head still
lower.
"Wcu. you'n-you're just prepos-
ferrous" said Dick. You needn'l
:bother yourself about going to sleep.
old fellow. You're fast asleep now.
You'd better go and hunt up YOU
voice and see if you can't make some
use of it Bye. bye" and Dick spread
his wings and merrily flew away.
4 vase with 4 tea rose in it stood or
n table in the sitting-room and h
stopped a moment to examine that, bu
the rose didn't taste SO good rs i
.smelled and he went on to the dining
room He liked good things and swee
things. and didn't care much abou
any thing else; and the next day tn,
cook found Dick dead in a jelly-pot
which IS exactly what you might hsv'
expected.
But Tom made his way to a photo
graph of Raphaers Fourth Hour O
thu Night" which hung on the sitting
room wall. and tucked himself into
big knot in the cord behind the pictur,
and went fast asleep. He slept mucl
more soundly than the baby did. TO
she walked quite often and laughe,
and talked. or cried Dick couldn'